Google Hires Big (Lobbying) Guns for Antitrust Fight

Last week, we learned that the FTC was readying subpoenas against Google in a new antitrust investigation against the search giant, based on claims that it unfairly favors its own search results and disadvantages competitors. Google seems to be taking the matter seriously, hiring twelve D.C. lobbying firms to help it make its case. Along with several antitrust cases leveled against the company in Europe — one French search company is suing it for $420 million — this may well augur the start of a new phase for Google, which started out as a fun-and-tumble Mountain View start-up, but as it’s grown has been likened to old-school behemoth Microsoft. Here’s a short history listen for those of you not versed in recent antitrust lore, though why you wouldn’t be is beyond me: Microsoft just ended a decades-long battle with the U.S. and other European governments over its monopolies in certain software markets. Sound familiar? (Cough, cough, Google, cough.) Now to ruin Google’s appetite: Microsoft lost most of those cases and was ordered to pay out billions in fines. Justsaying.